Agent hunt: the numbers
What are the odds of getting an agent? I hear that all the time. What are the chances of that? How many tries did it take to do this?
People are funny creatures, in other words. We want to figure things out, quantify the un-quantifiable. Master the random and just, in general, work the system to our feeble advantage.
And, don't worry, I'm just as bad. I spent the better part of September stalking NY Times bestselling books to try my best to figure out exactly what kind of sales it would take to join those ranks.
So, in honor of the end of the year, my fabulous agent, Kristin Nelson, has posted a round up of statistics for the year.
I'm hoping Kristin doesn't mind if I share some of the highlights. (To read the full list, go to Kristin's Blog.)
And no, that's not a typo. Kristin really did receive approximately 30 THOUSAND queries this year and, of those, she only asked to read 74 full manuscripts.
Of the 74 full manuscripts (and the 30 THOUSAND) queries, she only took on 8 new clients.
Now do you see why I'm completely torn between laughing and crying when people email me with questions like "Do I really need to rewrite my book before sending it to agents?"
YES--rewrite your books. Yes, put your books in a drawer for six months, write another book, and then pull it out again to see if you still think it's good.
But keep in mind that of those 30,000 queries some people got through. They got an agent and then they sold a book.
How does that happen?
Well, unagented writers come up to me at conferences and ask how many agents I queried before I got an offer of representation (and honestly I don't remember. It was somewhere around 20.)
People ask me how many books I had to write to get an agent: 1.
People want to know how many drafts that book went through to get an agent: I don't know. Probably 25
People want to know how many books I had to write to get a book published: 2
People want to know how many books I sold before I quit my day job: 6
People want to know how many drafts my books take before they're published: impossible to say. Cross My Heart took maybe 20?
People want to know how much money authors make: also impossible to say; some get rich, but most are barely scraping by
People want to know what they have to do to be one of the 8 out of the 30,000: write a really, really, really great book.
People want to know how hard that is: hard. Very hard.
People want to know what advice I'd give new writers: simple. This business isn't for wusses.
People want to know what I'm doing for Christmas: Food, family, and GG3!
Happy holidays, everyone!
Ally
People are funny creatures, in other words. We want to figure things out, quantify the un-quantifiable. Master the random and just, in general, work the system to our feeble advantage.
And, don't worry, I'm just as bad. I spent the better part of September stalking NY Times bestselling books to try my best to figure out exactly what kind of sales it would take to join those ranks.
So, in honor of the end of the year, my fabulous agent, Kristin Nelson, has posted a round up of statistics for the year.
I'm hoping Kristin doesn't mind if I share some of the highlights. (To read the full list, go to Kristin's Blog.)
30,000 estimated number of queries read and responded to (and yes, that is up from last year)
74 full manuscripts requested
8 number of new clients
22 books sold
6 new deals for previously published clients
5 deals for new clients (4 of which were debut authors—as in not previously published)
And no, that's not a typo. Kristin really did receive approximately 30 THOUSAND queries this year and, of those, she only asked to read 74 full manuscripts.
Of the 74 full manuscripts (and the 30 THOUSAND) queries, she only took on 8 new clients.
Now do you see why I'm completely torn between laughing and crying when people email me with questions like "Do I really need to rewrite my book before sending it to agents?"
YES--rewrite your books. Yes, put your books in a drawer for six months, write another book, and then pull it out again to see if you still think it's good.
But keep in mind that of those 30,000 queries some people got through. They got an agent and then they sold a book.
How does that happen?
Well, unagented writers come up to me at conferences and ask how many agents I queried before I got an offer of representation (and honestly I don't remember. It was somewhere around 20.)
People ask me how many books I had to write to get an agent: 1.
People want to know how many drafts that book went through to get an agent: I don't know. Probably 25
People want to know how many books I had to write to get a book published: 2
People want to know how many books I sold before I quit my day job: 6
People want to know how many drafts my books take before they're published: impossible to say. Cross My Heart took maybe 20?
People want to know how much money authors make: also impossible to say; some get rich, but most are barely scraping by
People want to know what they have to do to be one of the 8 out of the 30,000: write a really, really, really great book.
People want to know how hard that is: hard. Very hard.
People want to know what advice I'd give new writers: simple. This business isn't for wusses.
People want to know what I'm doing for Christmas: Food, family, and GG3!
Happy holidays, everyone!
Ally
Labels: Tips for Writers
posted by Ally Carter at Saturday, December 22, 2007
10 Comments:
Yowza, Ally. Those are not good odds. Now I'm going to go have a panic attack about how my book will never be good enough to be one of those 30,000 and my dreams of being a famous author are going down the toilet as I type this...I'm glad you did write this blog. But now it looks like I'll be selling pencils out of a tin cup on the sidewalk in down town. I'll have to get a box for me to live in, as well as my cat...
Oh, I'm kidding! I know I may never get published, but that's alright with me. It would be pretty flippin' sweet if I did, though.
Merry Christmas, Ally! And a Happy New Year!!!
dang...looks like i'm gonna have to step it up a notch to even DREAM about getting published, let alone get an agent!! those are pretty high odds against me, but i shall prevail!! haha
thanks for this post. it was very helpful!!
Briana
Wow, those are some seriously long odds...
dang, i needa get crackn on finishn my book and editn it, lol, ive been thinkn bout sendn it to sum agents already and obviously, ive gota lota work to do bfor i do, lol, thx for the tips tho ally, and merry xmas! hav fun! =D
<3 celia
I've started looking forward to these posts. They are very fun to read. Those are some..."wow" numbers.
~ Allie-wa
Ouch. I feel bad for anyone trying to get an agent. (25 drafts???????????????????????????????????????????????)
_jane_
Wow, 25 drafts, that's a lot!
<3 Renee
WoW omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but any way Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i'm not a writer but my friend is and she already has a book published that is really cool i think she worked really really hard. durnig all her free time she wrote and re-wrote her book. her agent is soo nice the night her book came out we had a party with her and 35 and we were only 12. it was sooo cool. do you ervery do that ally have a party the night your books come out. your odds are really a long shot i guess she just got lucky. hahaha
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
LOTS of LOVE
NOR
Yes, these statistics are shocking. As a comicstrip fanatic, it is even MORE difficult for a new strip to debut (another strip has to be discontinued to make space).
I'm reading the new biography of Charles Schulz (Peanuts), and it was not easy for him. Like most success stories, he worked hard to perfect his craft, tried various formats and topics, and even the first two years were not instant successes.
Most great comicbook artists are not satisfied with what they drew a few years ago. The good ones are constantly trying to improve, because there is always someone who can replace you on the comics page, the bestseller list, or your desk.
Think of a great idea. (The "high concept" which can sell a book in one or two sentences.) Add interesting characters who will engage a reader's interest. Write chapters which force readers to keep reading (what happens next?!) And then wait a long time to become an overnight sensation.
The Fundamental Theorem of Writing: When you are not writing, you should be reading. When not reading, you should be thinking and dreaming. Observe EVERYTHING around you. Listen to how people talk. Write to please yourself, not some imaginary audience.
Thanks, Ally, for sharing your thoughts with us. Have a happy new year!
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